Since starting college, after becoming a parent at the ripe age of 36, I’ve been hearing one line often, “Oh my gosh, you’re like a superhero!” Am I really like a super hero?

The first image that comes to my mind when hearing the title “super hero” is Batman getting caught napping in the streets of New York while people are screaming for help in the distance. I can’t image that a super hero would have a chaotic mind like my own and I doubt they’d fall asleep on the job, at least I would hope they wouldn’t.

As a parent, I agree, I’ve witnessed that parents tend to be better at multitasking their ever changing schedule than the average non-parenting person. Parents who attend college often have more than one job, along with multiple classes, endless amounts of homework, a home to tend to, even with all of those duties they still manage to be there for every flag football game, t-ball game and gymnastics meet all in order to support their kids. Being a parent requires a good amount of patience, combined with a whole lot of humor.

According to a study found on IWPR.ORG (Institute for Women’s Policy Research), more than 1 in 5 college students are also parents. Really, what that means, is that every college out there, including Madison College, has a bunch of out-of-their minds super hero’s sitting in classes, while their thoughts may be somewhere else, like wondering what kind of trouble their kids are getting into at school themselves.

All humor aside, if that’s even possible, our fellow class mates who are parents, are amazing people. They make it to class after busy days and the very fact that they even had the courage to enroll when, for some, their heads were filled with doubt about going back to school to begin with. As a parent, I know this, because thats were I was for so many years. To some kids, their parents are real super heroes and when we as parents take that leap to become a student again, we also become role models.

So, when I sort though all that laundry after a busy day of work and several hours in the classroom or working on class work , I think I start to understand what they mean when they call us super heroes.

You’re doing great parents, hang in there!  We all deserve a capes!

Editor’s Note: Destiny Hines is a Journalism Major currently enrolled in the Liberal Arts transfer program at Madison College and a proud parent of two very busy boys. Each issue of The Clarion, WolfPack Parent column will provide parenting support for our WolfPack Parents. To reach Hines with questions and suggestions for future topics, please email her at [email protected]

Resources

DIAL 211 – Available 24/7 if you ever need help with food, shelter, disaster relief, employment or education opportunities, domestic abuse help, support groups, and more!

RISE – (608)250-6634 – Parent Support, Home Visiting, Emergency Child Care.

Parental Stress Line – 1-800-632-8188 – Confidential Listening Support for parents 24 hours a day.

CAC Clothing Center – (608) 246-4730 ext. 216- Free Clothing for Interviews, School, Work, and home

Family Friendly Events

• Madison Children’s Museum – (608)256-6445; Free Family Night, first Wednesday of each month; 2116, 100 N Hamilton St, Madison
• Turville Point Conservation Park – (608)698-0104; Free, Madison Fun Bird & Nature Outing, second Sunday of each month; 1156 Olin-Turville Court, Madison
• Family: Engineering for kids – (608)286-3150; Free, Nov. 2, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.; Located at Dream Bank, 821 East Washington Ave. Madison
• UW Arboretum Family Nature Program – (608) 263-7888; Free for ages 3-11, Sunday, Nov. 10 at 1:30 p.m. 1207 Seminole Highway, Madison